The present invention relates to a mold apparatus for an endless track type continuous casting machine for continuously casting a thin casting.
There has been devised and demonstrated a continuous casting method for casting a thin casting of the type in which, as shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of cooling blocks 1 are interconnected with each other in the form of an endless track, thereby assemblying cooling block chains 2 and 3; the cooling block chains 2 and 3 are so disposed and driven that they define straight walls 4 over a predetermined distance and that the straight walls 4 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, thereby defining a mold 5; and the cooling block chains 2 and 3 are driven in synchronism with the casting speed of a casting 6 so that molten metal is cast while growing a shell over the surfaces of the cooling blocks 1.
One of the greatest problems encountered in the mold apparatus of the continuous casting machine of the type described is how to cool each cooling block and in general the mold 5 is defined by the cooling block chains. The opposite linear portions of the straight section is used as a cooling zone for cooling each cooling block.
However, in the above-mentioned cooling method, each cooling block is cooled only when it is not in contact with a casting so that a satisfactory growth of the shell which is determined by the thermal capacity of the cooling blocks cannot be obtained. Furthermore, when the driving of the cooling block chains 2 and 3 is interrupted in case of an emergency, it becomes impossible to cool a casting so that a break-out; that is, the flow of the interior molten metal resulting from the break of the shell occurs.
In view of the above, the present invention was made as has for its object to provide a mold apparatus for an endless track type continuous casting machine which has a remarkably high degree of cooling capacity and which can maintain the cooling function even when the cooling mold chains which define a mold are stopped in case of an emergency.